Aromatization of optically active 1-benzyltetrahydroisoquinolines was accomplished by heating the TIQ in toluene over Pd/C catalyst. Direct catalytic reduction of aromatic materials could not be accomplished but aromatic isoquinolines obtained from S-(-)-and R-(+)-N-norreticulines could be converted into racemic material in three stepsin 55% overall yield, including quaternization with benzylbromide, reduction of the quaternary salt with sodium borohydride and catalytic N-debenzylation.